Various types of exercise and physical fitness training systems have existed for some time. For example, free weights and weight machines have existed for years. Recently, however, various forms of training where the user's body weight is used as a form of resistance have been developed. Such systems, however, have various shortcomings.
For example, suspension training systems generally include locked or static anchor points. This means the anchor point either is individually locked (e.g., gym rings or JungleGym™) or attached at a central anchor pivot point with little to no movement (e.g., TRX®. This locked or static anchor point can restrict the extent to which handles may move during exercises. With a static or locked anchor point and thereby locked or static handles, most exercises involve moving the body around the handle, rather than the handle moving around the body. This means that the body must actively move around a set focal point to enable the user to perform the desired exercise movement (e.g., biceps curls, chest presses or lateral rows).
Furthermore, most exercise movements with static or locked anchors are performed primarily in the sagittal plane. This is a shortcoming when compared to movements performed with a free moving or unstable anchor which may allow movements in one or all three planes of motion during a single exercise movement (e.g., lateral rows with partial rotation or chest presses with rotation).
As another example, some existing pulley training systems control the rotational motion of the pulley. U.S. Pat. Application Pub. No. 2011/0287906 to Morris discloses a pulley exercise system including a means to adjust resistance to change the force required to rotate the pulley wheel about its axis. The adjustment means involves clamping on the cable between the pulley wheel and a brake extension or brake bar. However, Morris does not disclose a convenient way to fix the cable in place so that the pulley may be locked in a locked mode. In Morris, even if the brake extension or brake bar were configured to extend sufficiently to do so, a user may not be able to supply the required force and/or such force may damage the cable and/or such force may cause the brake extension or brake bar to become jammed.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,704 to Brice et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, disclosed a pulley training system that addressed the foregoing shortcomings. First, the pulley training system disclosed in the '704 patent includes an attachment brace that allows an attachment strap to slide through it during use. Second, the pulley training system disclosed in the '704 patent includes a locking pin that may extend through holes in the pulley housing's front and rear faces that are aligned with a hole in the pulley wheel. The pulley wheel is substantially prevented from rotating when the locking pin is engaged through the aligned holes, and can rotate freely when the locking pin is not so engaged.
However, other issues exist with pulley training systems. One issue regards controlling the length and/or positioning of the ends of the cord that engages the pulley wheel. To address this issue, some pulley training systems have attempted to shorten the length of the pulley cord by integrating a knot such as the lanyard hitch knot, or have utilized a separate cord which attaches to the pulley cord with a knot such as a Prusik knot (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,088,053 to Whyatt et al.), and which attaches to an attachment point, user interface (e.g., a handle, foot cradle, etc.) or counterweight. But in these systems, the knot and separate cord may be difficult to manage. For example, there is difficulty in changing the position of the knot on the pulley cord. Additionally, users may face difficulties in learning how to tie and actually tying a lanyard hitch knot. This may be rather challenging to facilitate and/or manage in a class or group exercise setting.
Another issue with pulley training systems regards the cord or rope that is typically used to engage the pulley. Cords and ropes generally have a round cross-section. Certain uses of pulley training systems, however, involve rotational movements that may cause a pulley used with a cord having a round cross-section to undesirably twist during such movements. While pulley cords having non-round cross-sections, such as belts, have been used in stationary exercise equipment stations (e.g., the Pulsefitness® Multi-Pulley), it does not appear that such belts have been configured for use in pulley training systems. It also does not appear that existing pulley training systems have been configured to accommodate such non-circular cross-sectional belts or other devices.
Another issue with pulley training systems that use or incorporate a locking pin that is secured to the pulley training system by means of a lanyard is that such attachment lanyards may break. If locking pins become detached from their lanyards, they may be lost, thereby negating the ability to lock the pulley system.
Accordingly, a need exists for a fitness training system to address the foregoing shortcomings. A need also exists for various components for use with fitness training systems.